“A TOUCH OF PROVENCE IN COLORADO”

“Paonia has a large share of organic farms, orchards and vineyards, making it the consummate host for farm-to-table meals and winemaker dinners. For a sample, pick fruit and do a hard cider tasting at Delicious Orchards (39126 Colorado 133, Hotchkiss, 970-527-1110). In town, Grand Avenue is idyllic, with turn-of-the-century buildings housing local shops and restaurants, art galleries, a movie theater and a radio station.”

“Where to eat: Try a five-course winemaker dinner at Leroux Creek Inn and Vineyards (12388 3100 Road, Hotchkiss, 970-872-4746). The dinners are classic French cuisine and use local produce, meat or fish from the organic farms and ranches in Delta County.”

“A Stay at the Leroux Creek Inn & Vineyards”

“Every once in a while, you stumble into a perfect place, and I found such a place at the Leroux Creek Inn & Vineyards in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Our stay there had just the right balance of sunlight, wine, food and good conversation.”

“Ryan and I arrived rather later than we had expected (read about that adventure here), and were driving up the long driveway as Yvon Gros was just getting off his tractor. He and his wife, Joanna Reckert Gilbert, have owned this purpose-built bed and breakfast, on 54-acres, since 2000.”

“Next we went 15 minutes down the winding roads to Leroux Creek Vineyard and Inn to meet Yvon, the acclaimed French man in this unique county. As Toni perfectly called the Inn it is ‘Southwest-meets-Mountain-Mediterranean feeling’ with a stucco architecture, a beautiful kitchen and a deck with vines hanging from a trellis overlooking his vineyard.”

“We sat on his back patio while Yvon (below) baked his own bread, created a savory tart with cheese and chives, asparagus over a tart vinaigrette with fresh chives, and a deconstructed salad of fresh beats, venison, lettuce, hard boiled egg and celery salad. The apple tart had the flakiest, most buttery crust that I gobbled up.”

“We stayed at Leroux Creek Inn (lerouxcreekinn.com), in neighboring Hotchkiss, and the site of this beautiful Santa Fe-style bed and breakfast enveloped by flowers and grape vines left me wonderstruck. Our welcoming hosts and innkeepers, Joanna and Yvon Gros, showed us to our well-appointed rooms, all overlooking mountain peaks, desert mesas, or the vineyard. I took a short hike on their expansive grounds, but with more time you could better explore their 54 acres, and even venture to the creek. When I returned, Yvon treated us to an authentic French dinner on the back patio overlooking the grape vines, and conversation flowed like the seemingly endless glasses of their organically grown Cayuga wine. Foodies can request a similar culinary experience when booking. To fully unwind, conclude your evening as we did with a soak in the backyard hot tub as you look out at the starry sky.”

“Leave it to French-born Yvon and his wife Joanna to inspire romance. Located in Delta County, this winery has a darling Spanish adobe, five-room B & B. Stroll through more than 50 beautiful acres of property, then head to the wine cellar with Yvon, sample grape juice and learn about wine-making. With a quaint pond and secluded setting, the vino can come to you!”

Denver Life Magazine.com

“Western Colorado Escape to Leroux Creek Inn & Vineyards”

by Diana Rowe

“For a Western Colorado escape, Leroux Creek Inn & Vineyards is a secluded B&B surrounded by vineyards, and the valleys and mesas of the Grand Mesa. On the southeastern flank of the Grand Mesa located on 54 acres, gaze from the the Leroux Creek Inn’s flower bedecked patio onto their vineyards. Near the small town of Hotchkiss, the acreage also includes a creek, dry arroyos, grass pastures, sagebrush, and trees.”

This West Elk mountain escape sets the stage for an unforgettable getaway housed in an intimate southwest Adobe-style inn. Husband and wife innkeepers, Yvon and Joanna, welcome you into their B&B through a courtyard and then into a foyer opening into a living room, decorated in a luxurious combination of leather and southwestern style with log beams, tile floor, and kiva fireplace. Guest refrigerator and library/TV room is also available.